ESG, or environmental, social and governance-driven investing has been one of the hottest trends in investing over the past decade. Investors increasingly want to make money while also making the world a better place. And there’s nothing wrong with that.However, sometimes companies use green imagery to gloss over less appealing parts of their businesses. It’s great when firms can prosper while also making a tangible positive impact in the world.But management teams should never lose sight of the central rea ...

Despite recent economic indicators like GDP and consumer sentiment suggesting resilience in the U.S. economy, that doesn’t mean all consumer stocks are booming right now. In fact, there are plenty that are best described as doomed consumer stocks.For some of these names, macro-related challenges are negatively affecting their operating performance, leading to big price declines, and the risk of further price declines. The economic picture is not quite as rosy in other parts of the world. Even in the U.S., w ...

The stock market rally that kicked into high gear in late 2023 hasn't left investors with many screaming buy opportunities. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite is up 37% in the past full year, and the S&P 500 jumped nearly 22% in that time.Value-focused investors like to hunt for stocks that have been left out of these types of rallies in hopes of finding a hidden gem. Previously well-loved stocks can find their way back into Wall Street's good graces, after all, potentially supercharging returns for patient in ...

Several years ago, the idea of vegan stocks may have been laughable. We’re Americans and in America, we eat meat…real meat. That might have been the prevailing attitude and in some regions perhaps, that’s still the case. Nevertheless, thanks to the emerging Generation Z, a food paradigm might be shifting soon.Here are a few facts to consider. First, according to the website Medical Inspiration Daily For Stronger Society (MIDSS), its poll of 3,000 Gen Z individuals (defined as people born between 1997 to 201 ...

Shares of plant-based meat company Beyond Meat (BYND -3.68%) gained 22.1% in December, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The stock was up close to 45% in mid-December before slowly drifting back down, showing that most of the action for Beyond Meat was early in the month. During December, Beyond Meat didn't issue any press releases to investors. And the only filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pertained to stock trades from insiders -- extremely common for a ...

Is Beyond Meat (BYND 1.30%) a future feast or a financial famine? Once celebrated as a trailblazer in the plant-based meat revolution, the company has seen its share price shrivel by over 95% since 2021, a blaring distress signal in a young and volatile industry.Digging through Beyond Meat's financials and ongoing attempts to transform the global food landscape reveals a business with deep-seated issues -- from dwindling sales to persistent profitability challenges -- that keep this stock off my shopping li ...

Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ:BYND) Q3 2023 Earnings Conference Call November 8, 2023 5:00 PM ET Company Participants Paul Shepherd - Investor Relations Ethan Brown - Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer Lubi Kutua - Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Conference Call Participants Alexia Howard - Bernstein Ben Theurer - Barclays Adam Samuelson - Goldman Sachs Peter Saleh - BTIG Michael Lavery - Piper Sandler Operator Good day and welcome to Beyond Meat, Inc. 2023 Third Quarter Conference Call. [Oper ...

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Title of each classTrading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock, $0.0001 par value BYND The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC FORM 10-Q (Mark One) ☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2023 OR ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commiss ...

Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ:BYND) Q2 2023 Earnings Conference Call August 7, 2023 7:00 PM ET Company Participants Paul Sheppard - VP, FP&A, IR Ethan Brown - Founder, President & CEO Lubi Kutua - CFO & Treasurer Conference Call Participants Adam Samuelson - Goldman Sachs Peter Galbo - Bank of America Merrill Lynch Ken Goldman - JPMorgan Robert Moskow - TD Cowen Peter Saleh - BTIG Ben Theurer - Barclays Michael Lavery - Piper Sandler Rob Dickerson - Jefferies Andrew Strelzik - BMO Capital Markets Operator ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net revenues for Q1 2023 were $92.2 million, a decrease of 16% year-over-year but a 15% sequential increase from Q4 2022, marking the strongest Q4 to Q1 percentage increase since Q1 2019 [21][14] - Gross profit was $6.2 million, representing 6.7% of net revenues, compared to $0.2 million or 0.2% in the same period last year [23] - Operating expenses decreased by approximately 35% year-over-year to $63.9 million, driven by lower marketing expenses and reduced non-production headcount expenses [25] - Net loss for Q1 2023 was $59 million, or a net loss per share of $0.92, compared to a net loss of $100.5 million or $1.58 per share in the prior year [26] - Adjusted EBITDA loss was $45.8 million, or -49.6% of net revenues, an improvement from a loss of $78.9 million or -72.1% in the year-ago period [26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In U.S. retail grocery, the company is focusing on restoring growth in refrigerated offerings, which faced significant year-over-year challenges [9] - The frozen category saw unit sales grow by 20.3% and dollar sales increase by 28.8% sequentially from Q4 2022, and year-over-year, units grew by 31.5% and dollars by 36.4% [11] - International retail net revenues increased by 31%, while international foodservice net revenues jumped by 45% quarter-over-quarter [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The U.S. plant-based meat sector is experiencing demand weakness due to inflationary pressures driving consumers towards lower-priced animal protein [21] - The company noted a decline in household penetration from 27.8% to 25.5%, attributed to macroeconomic factors and increased competition in the plant-based category [42] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on three central tenets: margin expansion and OpEx reduction, cash flow accretive inventory management, and prioritizing near-term growth opportunities [5] - A new generation of burger products is set to launch, emphasizing taste and sensory profile improvements [16] - The company aims to achieve price parity with animal protein while maintaining a focus on total profit dollars rather than percentage margins [68] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving cash flow positive operations in the second half of 2023, emphasizing the importance of inventory management and gross margin improvement [34][36] - The company anticipates a more muted sequential increase in revenues from Q1 to Q2 due to tough year-ago comparisons and ongoing macroeconomic challenges [21] - Management highlighted the importance of clear communication regarding health benefits and taste to re-engage consumers [58] Other Important Information - The company has established a $200 million at-the-market equity facility to bolster cash reserves, indicating a proactive approach to financing [38] - A change in accounting estimate regarding the useful lives of manufacturing equipment positively impacted gross margin guidance for the full year [30][51] Q&A Session All Questions and Answers Question: Can you prioritize the levers to return to cash flow positive in the second half of the year? - Management identified four levers: net revenue, margin, OpEx, and freeing up cash from inventory, with a strong focus on inventory management as a source of cash [34] Question: Can you elaborate on the decision to pursue the $200 million at-the-market equity facility? - The facility is intended to bolster cash reserves and will be used opportunistically, not as an immediate cash need [39] Question: What are the sales trends in U.S. retail and International Foodservice? - U.S. retail faced challenges, while International Foodservice saw significant growth, with no load-in factors affecting the positive results [53][60] Question: How do you balance moves to price parity while protecting near-term margin growth? - The focus is on total profit dollars rather than percent margin, emphasizing volume through strategic pricing programs [68]